18 January 2026
(PHOTO: Agrobiznes)
The Romanian government has announced the acquisition of 100% of shares in Danube Logistics, the operator of the Giurgiulesti International Free Port in the Republic of Moldova, from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
As reported by the Romanian edition of Agrobiznes, the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Moldova confirmed the legality of the deal, emphasizing that it concerns exclusively the private port operator (Danube Logistics) and does not concern state-owned land.
The final price approval is expected on February 11, 2026. Romania plans to invest over EUR 24 million in the modernization and development of port infrastructure. The main goal is to integrate the port of Giurgiulesti into Romania's logistics network, expand its capacity, and strengthen the region's role in the Danube and Black Sea transport corridors.
In July 2025, the Council for the Examination of Investments of National Security Importance approved the request of the National Company "Administration of Seaports" from Constanta, Romania, to acquire 100% of the capital of Danube Logistics SRL, the current operator of the International Free Port of Giurgiulesti on the border with Odesa region.
The International Free Port of Giurgiulesti is a port located 133.8 kilometers from the Black Sea, on the left bank of the Prut and Danube rivers, established in 2006 through the transfer of 430 meters of the Danube and Prut rivers to Moldova by Ukraine, making it the only port in Moldova with access to the Black Sea.
There are two separate port companies operating in Giurgiulesti: The International Free Port, operated by Danube Logistics and owned by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the state-owned port, owned by the government of the Republic of Moldova. Chisinau authorities have previously stated that the state port is not for sale.
ICS Danube Logistic is a Dutch company owned by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It has been controlling and managing the Giurgiulesti port since 2004. The contract with the consultant will be valid for six weeks from the date of its signing.
Romania has publicly announced its intention to take control of the port in 2023. And in April 2025, the National Company "Constanta Seaports Authority", subordinated to the Romanian Ministry of Transport, put up for auction a contract for 2 million lei for the purchase of consulting services for the acquisition of ICS Danube Logistic, the majority owner and operator of the port of Giurgiulesti in the Republic of Moldova.
Кирило Бойко